Legislation Making Daylight Savings Time Permanent In Tennessee Is A Bad Idea - And Response (3)

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Some well meaning (yet meddling) politician from Collierville, Tn. is attempting to make Tennessee one of only three states that won't recognize standard time. His idea is to keep daylight savings time year around. It is a foolish idea that needs to be stopped in its tracks.

Moving the clock ahead an hour does not add daylight, time or anything else. The primary purpose for the concept of keeping "time" is that everyone is on the same page. If Tennessee decides it is going to buck the rest of the country, then confusion will ensue. This is particularly so given Tennessee borders so many other states. Imagine, five months of the year when Chattanoogans are planning to meet friends from North Georgia, they will be on different times. The other seven months the time will be the same. Confusion will reign in every area that borders a different state (and in Tennessee, that includes Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, etc.).

The legislator pushing the idea says getting rid of standard time in Tennessee will benefit farmers and school students. Of course, he doesn't say how. If anything, it will create a dangerous condition for those students who will be forced to stand in the pitch black waiting for the morning school bus.

Please, State Legislature, leave Tennessee on standard time with the rest of the nation. It shouldn't be your goal or job to make matters more confusing for the citizens you represent.

Bill Dearing

* * *

The proposal for Tennessee to no longer change the clock with the rest of the nation is indeed a hair-brained idea. Surprised it would have a sponsor, much less actually passing the first hurdle. Do any of these guys live in the real world?

I have an even better example of the chaos that will develop. If I planned to meet my wife, friend from Ringgold, and sister from Bridgeport, Ala. for lunch (all of which live within 25 minutes of one another) - - depending on the month of the year - - in order for us all to meet at the same moment, I would tell my Ringgold friend to meet at 1, my wife in Chattanooga 2, and my sister in Bridgeport 12. Yes, under the proposal, for five months of the year Chattanooga will be two hours different than the people in the Central time zone. We will also be an hour later than states as far East as New York.

I am writing in response to Bill Dearing's opinion piece about TN HB 1909. In it he states that the bill would leave Tennessee permanently on daylight savings time but it would in fact exempt Tennessee from DST and leave it on standard time. Below is a link to bill:

I would think that there would be much more time and study put into a decision that would affect so many people such as making time stand still when those around us a moving.

Thank you for the link to the bill. However, to determine whether you would be in EDT or EST forever would depend on the date that it goes into effect. If it goes into effect on July 1, then you would be in DST, and never come out of it. This would not mean that Tennessee would be exempt from DST, it would be mandatory DST, year round.

How would this affect families? During the months of November through March, sunrise would be as late as 8:48 a.m., but sunsets would only go as early as 6:39 p.m. This means that students and workers would be traveling and on the roads possibly 2-3 hours before sunrise on those mornings that are near zero degrees. But they should have no problem getting home by dark time. What would be more important?

Neighboring states time differences: I can tell you from experience that living in a state that does not change time along with the neighboring states did throw a lot of confusion into the mix. Western Tennessee would be switching from Central Daylight Time to Mountain Standard time, there would be a two hour time difference from the eastern time zone. Too bad we are not neighbors to Colorado. Then it might make more sense to follow this bill.

I'm just wondering if our legislatures have too much time on their hands with nothing more important to do.

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